George Polya

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the Hungarian mathematician, George Polya and relates that he is hailed by many as not only one of the greatest mathematicians, but also a great teacher of his time. The paper examines his schooling, his studies in university and the path to his career in mathematics. The paper details all his various accomplishments and promotions.

From the Paper:

"Polya's parents, Anna and Jakab, were both Jewish. Jakab's original surname was in fact Pollak, but he changed this for the sake of his professional goals. After his law firm failed, he worked for an international insurance company. However, Jakab's dream was to obtain a research post at a university and pursue his true interests, economics and statistics. It appears therefore that George inherited not only his father's tenacity, but also his interest in numbers. In 1882 Jakab Polya was finally appointed as Privatdozent at the University of Budapest."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Motter, A. "George Polya, 1887-1985". http://www.math.wichita.edu/history/men/polya.html
• O'Connor, J.J. and Robertson, E.F. "George Polya". 2002. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Biographies/Polya.html
• Polya Math Center. "George Polya, A Short Biography". University of Idaho, 2005. http://www.sci.uidaho.edu/polya/biography.htm

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